Write On SC

In consuming a ridiculous amount of romance fiction, I (Kasie) have come across my share of absurd body part descriptions. So I thought we haven’t ever really talked about how to talk about body parts on this show. So let’s do that. Let’s talk: Basic biology versus nuanced inference When, where and how to flex that vocabulary Body parts as vehicles for metaphor (i.e. broken heart) What to leave to...

The last time we had a show near Valentine’s Day, it was the day after and we did Episode 299 “Love for Love’s Sake” exploring the trappings of a love story. So we’ll start there. Love stories are universal because they are so versatile. In our previous episode, we went through the types of love per This link which explains it this way: “the comprehensive feeling for the entire cosmos.” From the s...

So last week Hollie joined us to talk about motifs which turned into a plot device conversation and we decided we could use of more that. So here it is, Part 2 if you will of Plot Devices to get us started this year. Turns out, we haven’t done plot devices before. We’ve done literary devices ( Episode 125 ) but not plot devices. What do we mean by “plot device”? A plot device is any tool used to a...

This morning we’re joined by Hollie, a musician and contributor to the show, who had something to add to our conversation on motifs. The idea came from an article explaining how composers use motifs to advance the plot in musical theater. That got me (Kasie) wondering about other plot-advancement devices in literature that function in similar ways. Thanks, as always, to Gemini AI for curating the...

The appeal of the apocalypse. Seems like everyone takes a stab at writing about the end times. What does it look like in your imagination? Let’s remember that a lot, a LOT of what we have now was once imagined by writers. For example, Fahrenheit 451 predicted headphones, Frankenstein imagined transplants, Isaac Asimov predicted the rise of computers ( link ). Apple watches, self-driving cars, even...

Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions for your writing life? What’s the purpose of it and why should we do it? There are ancient origins for new year’s resolutions including the Babylonians in 2000 b.c. making promises to the gods at the new year to return borrowed items and pay off debts. How many of those promises do you suppose were kept? In medieval times, knights renewed their oaths of loyal...

Kasie and Hollie host an old school flashback episode. Inspired by 90s sitcoms that had end of season flashback episodes, Kasie and Hollie decided to use each segment as a flashback to a previous episode of Write on SC to give a new perspective.

What is an anti-hero? This topic is so old, the show notes still introduce who we are to the audience. Wow. Episode 43 way back in 2019 was the only episode we have dedicated to the Anti-Hero. Notes there are not AI-generated, but these notes totally are: An anti-hero is a central character who lacks conventional heroic qualities like altruism, morality, or idealism, often driven by selfish motive...

It’s been a while since we covered the dozen uses for the Fool ( Episode 181 ) so there are some new notes and updated links for it but the concept remains. Per Gemini AI: the Fool is an archetype, often a jester or simpleton, who uses humor, feigned madness, or childlike simplicity to speak uncomfortable truths, challenge norms, offer wisdom, and provide commentary, acting as a mirror for society...

Heather has been with us before. She visited back on Episode 261: Edit Like a Pro. Here are some details about Heather: Heather Harris-Bergevin is an author whose business, Barrow Editing, is based in Columbia, South Carolina. She, her three children, two cats, and a happy pitbull spend most of their time fighting entropy. Her own poetry books are published with By Common Consent Press, and she ha...

What is Retroactive Continuity? Retroactive continuity (often called retcon ) is a storytelling device used in fiction when authors or creators deliberately change, add to, or contradict facts that were previously established in a story’s “official past.” In essence, the story’s “history” gets rewritten, sometimes subtly and sometimes quite dramatically. ( Wikipedia ) According to one definition:...

Crymsyn Hart is a multi-genre author from Horror, Urban Fantasy, and Romance. Her years of experience at Boston’s oldest psychic salon doing readings and her encounters with the supernatural have inspired many novels. She’s a lover of all things dark and goth. Vampires, grim reapers, and other paranormal creatures tend to end up in her books no matter how hard she tries to keep them away. She curr...

A child of the 80's, SL Harby grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons and classic video games. An only child, he was bitten early by the reading bug, cutting his teeth on the masters of modern fantasy. His days were spent inside the worlds created by Howard and Lieber, Moorcock and Tolkien. A perpetual Jersey boy, SL Harby lives in northwestern New Jersey with his wife and muse, Jessica and their bad a...

Nick Roberts is the award-winning author of Anathema , The Exorcist's House series , Mean Spirited , and several others. His works have been translated into multiple languages, becoming international bestsellers and garnering the attention of Hollywood. He’s a member of the Horror Writers Association, a doctoral graduate from Marshall University, and currently resides in South Carolina with his wi...

The last time we did this topic was way back in 2021 here’s the link to Episode 130 . We think maybe we’ve learned something since then. Born out of the “be mean to your characters” necessity, “what could be meaner than making your characters make decisions, do something, take responsibility, and live with consequences of their actions?” According to this link by Meg LaTorre at Savvy Authors, “age...

Finding the right event, getting the vendor license, and packing all your stuff to go over there and sell is all part of the prep. The South Carolina Artisan license can be found at the SC Department of Revenue ( link ). Some expected costs: Table ($50-200), vendor license (maybe), travel -- if you have an LLC, you can consider all of these business expenses. Some preparation consideration: Table...

Heather has been with us before. She visited back on Episode 261: Edit Like a Pro. Here are some details about Heather: Heather Harris-Bergevin is an author whose business, Barrow Editing, is based in Columbia, South Carolina. She, her three children, two cats, and a happy pitbull spend most of their time fighting entropy. Her own poetry books are published with By Common Consent Press, and she ha...

We always talk about how to promote your book and this week I attended (as a speaker) the Business Boot Camp for the Women in Publishing Summit team where all we talked about was authorprenuership. But there’s more to this literary life than just self-promotion. There’s a give-back element that we call literary citizenship and if you can learn to enjoy it, you can really profit from it. Five years...

We always talk about how to promote your book and this week I attended (as a speaker) the Business Boot Camp for the Women in Publishing Summit team where all we talked about was authorprenuership. But there’s more to this literary life than just self-promotion. There’s a give-back element that we call literary citizenship and if you can learn to enjoy it, you can really profit from it. Five years...

We’re in the dog days of summer which can lead to a slow, reluctance to turn to the screen or the page and get new stories generated. Why do we feel this? What can we do about it? This writer offered a few tips and tricks: Read, read and read again – other writers can gently or violently shake something free in us Surround yourself with other writers – group, conferences, readings, book stores, go...

It’s been a while since we did the grab bag thing. Here are some place to start but we’re sure to wander off and just riff a bit. I asked Gemini “What are Writers asking AI?” How can AI assist with research and brainstorming? AI can help writers research topics, generate outlines, and brainstorm ideas for stories or articles. Can AI help with editing and proofreading? Yes, AI writing assistants ca...

This blog gives a quick summary of all seven sins and some examples of how to use them. So reading it might mean you don’t need our seven episodes but how about come along for the ride anyway? The Seven Deadly Sins ( this link ) in Roman Catholic theology , are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and e...

The Seven Deadly Sins ( this link ) in Roman Catholic theology , are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas . The sins are: Pride Greed Lust Envy Gluttony Wrath Sloth We’ve done these before (episodes 151 – 157 ), but it’s been a while and this time...

It’s been the summer of the Seven Deadly Sins series.  This blog  gives a quick summary of all seven sins and some examples of how to use them.  The Seven Deadly Sins ( this link ) in  Roman Catholic theology , are the seven vices that spur other  sins  and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope  Gregory I  (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by  St. Thoma...

It’s been the summer of the Seven Deadly Sins series. This blog gives a quick summary of all seven sins and some examples of how to use them.  The Seven Deadly Sins ( this link ) in Roman Catholic theology , are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquina...